Step 1 Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9x5" loaf pan, set aside With an electric mixer cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and incorporate Step 2 Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt Add sifted flour mix to your butter mix Add bananas, sour cream, vanilla and nuts mixing to combine and pour into your pan Step 3 Bake at 350 until a tooth pick inserted into the center of your bread comes out clean about an hour to an hour and ten minutes. Remove from oven rack cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan to further cool about 20 more minutes.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Step 1 Use an electric mixer to blend together peanut butter and cream cheese Step 2 Add vanilla, and 1 cup of powdered sugar, mix together Step 3 Add 1 cup of powdered sugar, blend add 3 tbs of cream Step 4 Add final cup of powdered sugar and blend until you have a smooth spreadable frosting Step 5 COOL! I know you're tempted but throw that frosting in the fridge for awhile and allow for it to firm up a bit before you spread it.

A couple of tips... cool your banana bread completely prior to attempting to frosting. For optimum results cool both the frosting and bread. Slice the bread lengthwise with a serrated knife, spread the frosting in the center and cool in the fridge for awhile before slicing. Happy baking!

If you end up making this let me know how it turned out! I'd love to hear of any variations or changes you make to the recipe. Enjoy!

Minnehaha Falls, Minneapolis

Minnehaha Falls is always a great spot to visit and capture beautiful portraits. There's lots of spaces that are in the park that are fun to photograph besides the falls themselves. As the leaves change color this is a captivating and inspirational location. Be sure to save some time for lunch and stop by the Cafe. Parking is just .75 per hour unless you have a yearly parks permit. There is also a walking trail to get lost in, be sure to explore as much as you can!

The photo below is of one of the areas of the park with benches to sit or photograph. The "fountain" is a really fun backdrop with either trees or skyline to choose depending on the direction you're shooting. I like to hit up this spot as the sun is setting for maximum impact.

Jim's Apple Orchard, Jordan

Besides offering you orchards to pick your favorite variety of Apple, Jim's also boasts the World's largest soda selection inside of Minnesota's largest candy store. So, if apples don't fully appease your sweet tooth... Jim's offers you candy, pie, soda and more. The grounds are really fun to shoot in and the kids will surely be motivated to cooperate with a promised trip inside the shop once you're done with your photo session!

Irvine Park, St. Paul

Irvine Park was the space that I hung out in during High School and still seems to be a choice spot for just taking a break. There are inspirational places throughout the park for photographing or enjoying the afternoon. The leaves are just starting to change color and the light is really beautiful here this time of year between 4:30 and 6pm. When you're done have a treat at Mickey's Dining Car just a few blocks away. Gotta love Saint Paul!

Fashion On The Cheap

Select an image above for clothing info and costs

For the summer of 2014 I wanted to do a series of images that proved that you don't need an extravegent budget to create some photos that are creative and appealing in the fashion department. I set out to find clothes that were inexpensive and fashionable with a goal of spending less than $40 per look. I found some great items and averaged around $15 per look.

Thrifting is fun. I much prefer it to shopping because you NEVER know what you're going to find. There can be great vintage pieces or bizarre off the rack clothing and sometimes one of a kind items that will really set off an image or emotion you're looking to convey in your final composition. The key however to successful thrifting is time, and objectivity. You need to really go often and be diligent, don't pick up an item with the intent to "fix or repair" it. I've left so many great things behind because I knew that I am not a seamstress and the idea of repairing that zipper in that dress was going to never actually happen. Unless you're savvy at that sort of thing, move on to the next item that catches your eye and is in great condition. There are a few exceptions to the rule if the deal is too great to pass on, as was the case with the mink coat I purchased last year. Covered in spray paint at the bottom I cleaned the coat with brush cleaner meant to remove paint from natural hair. It was time consuming but the effort was well worth it. I now own a beautiful vintage black mink coat that's unique and for only $35.

You really need to be a scavenger at heart and have the time to dig for wonderful stylish things, but that's the best part - digging for treasure. My current thrifting schedule is Tuesday and Thursday. I spend about 3 hours a week looking for beautiful (mostly vintage) items that I can photograph on models for clients and personal work. This time of year is the best for Vintage shopping as some of the charity and thrift shops tuck away vintage items and wait to put them out for sale until the Halloween season. This usually means a mark up for items, however the pricing should still be very reasonable. Smaller sizes will be more abundant so keep in mind what size your model is when purchasing.

Professional cleaning is a must for some items as well. If you've not taken anything in to be professionally cleaned I recommend calling and checking pricing. Some items can be very expensive to send out to be cleaned while you may be able to clean them at home for a fraction of the cost. Here are some quick tips for cleaning items at home:

Vintage whites and lace can be cleaned in luke warm water and Ivory Dish soap. Soak the item overnight if serious yellowing has occurred. Use a small amount of the soap, while applying directly to heavily soiled areas. Rinse and line dry, repeat as necessary.

Vintage colors should be washed in cold water and Woolite. The same for silks. Line dry and steam for wrinkle removal. Never put vintage in the dryer! If you don't have a yard to line dry, use the curtain rod over your tub.

Stains can be removed out of delicates with Fels Naptha (read the warning label and wear gloves) and baking soda. Both items are found in the laundry section of your grocery store.

Thrifting can be fun and inspiring. Bring a friend and wear comfortable shoes. Remember, the best part about Thrifting for photo shoots is you're helping out the community you live in. Don't forget to donate and receive coupons for your favorite shops. Happy hunting!

Categories

Mailing list:

Nouvelle Design Studio

Elle Halls is a member of the American Photographic Artists

What our customers have to say

I worked with Elle Halls of Nouvelle Design Studio for my business profile picture (used for LinkedIn, email, website, business cards, etc.) and she was amazing! She really listened to what I wanted, and made me a part of the process, stopping many times throughout the shoot to show me how the photos were looking. What I thought was going to be a "business errand/chore" ended up being a lot of fun! I highly recommend using Elle for your photography project.

Thumbtack client Kristin J.

Excellent experience. Elle was able to coach out the "model" in me and provided many shots I can pick from. She went well above and beyond me expectations and the final product is excellent.Thumbtack client Scott J.

Working with Elle was wonderful! I was doing a fashion shoot and it was so fun! She's very nice, funny, and professional, the shoot went like that! She has a very keen eye and did wonderful work! Very happy with my photos. Thanks, Elle! Thumbtack client Elena C.

I love the photos of myself and my daughter. We were given excellent direction so we could get the best shots. I couldn't be happier with the results! I highly recommend booking a session for any type of photography you are looking for!